Chamber Preparing To Move

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS — The Greater Seminole Chamber of Commerce expects to move into its new home at 291 Maitland Ave. within the next two weeks, executive director Bob Lewis said Monday.

A ribbon-cutting and community open house is tentatively set for Sept. 5. Lewis said a band from the U.S. Naval Training Center in Orlando has been invited to play.

The project is an addition to the Altamonte Springs public library. Lewis said about one-third of the new space will be used by the chamber, one-third by the library, and one-third will be a large community meeting room available to all.

The chamber raised about $100,000 in cash and pledges for construction.

''This is a good example of a city and private enterprise working together for the good of the whole community,'' Lewis said. ''It's been a three-year project and we're very excited that it's almost complete.''

The chamber, with a professional staff of seven and two volunteers, will have nearly 1,200 square feet of office space in its new quarters. It was housed previously in the Altamonte Community House, which was demolished to make way for the new building.

Lewis said the expansion was needed to meet the needs of the fast-growing chamber. Membership has grown from about 400 in mid-1983 to about 1,500 now, with 17 cities represented. More than 1,000 members are from the Altamonte Springs-Casselberry-Longwood area, Lewis said.